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Andover finishes regular season undefeated with victory over Rogers

By JIM PAULSEN, Star Tribune, 11/13/20, 9:00PM CST

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Huskies quarterback Connor Develice connected with three different receivers on touchdown passes en route to a 27-17 win.


Rogers defensive lineman Ross Meskimen (left) and Andover quarterback Connor Develice met face to face on a third-quarter run. Develice was injured on the play and did not return to the game. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine

After dispatching Rogers 27-17 in their regular season finale Friday, Andover coach Tom Develice proclaimed Phase 1 of his football season agenda complete.

Well, almost.

The Huskies completed the season with a 6-0 record and, in doing so, managed to flip the result of four games from a year ago.

“Phase 1 of our plan was to beat the teams that beat us last year,” Develice said. “We did that. Well, if we beat Coon Rapids, we’ll have beaten all five of them.”
The other four being Bemidji, Elk River, Buffalo and Rogers.


Andover running back Caden Wheeler hauls in a long pass from Connor Develice to set up the Huskies’ first touchdown against Rogers. Andover led 14-10 at the half. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine

First report

Quarterback Connor Develice threw three touchdown passes to lead Class 5A, No. 4 Andover to a 27-17 victory over Rogers.

The Huskies, playing at home, took the lead for good Friday on the last play of the first half when receiver Sam Musungu caught a 23-yard pass from Develice, giving Andover a 14-10 lead.

After a scoreless first quarter, Rogers, ranked sixth in Class 5A, opened the scoring with a 22-yard field goal by  Dylan Honnoll to take a 3-0 lead.

Andover (6-0) responded with a 4-yard scoring pass from Develice to Aghogho Eyafe to take a 7-3 lead.

Rogers regained the lead on a 17-yard touchdown run by quarterback Evenson before Develice and Musungu connected on their scoring play as time expired to end the second quarter.

Develice’s third touchdown pass was a 5-yard toss to Elijah Alexander in the third quarter to extend the lead to 21-10. Running back Caden Wheeler rushed for a 16-yard touchdown with 10 minutes, 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter to build a 27-10 lead.

Rogers narrowed the margin to 27-17 on a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Ben Dahl.

Rogers, which fell to 4-2, was hampered by five turnovers.

When postseason play begins next Tuesday, both teams will have No. 1 seeds in their sections and neither will be playing, owing in part to absences wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andover is the top seed in Class 5A, Section 7. Only two other schools in the section -- Cambridge-Isanti and Coon Rapids -- are still playing football after COVID issues sidelined Duluth East and St. Francis.

As a result, the Huskies advance to the section championship game on Nov. 25. They will host the winner of a game next Thursday between third-seeded Coon Rapids and No. 2 seed Cambridge-Isanti.

Rogers, the No. 1 seed in Class 5A, Section 6, will next play Nov. 21 in the section semifinals against the winner of Monticello and St. Cloud Tech, which play Tuesday.

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